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Pastoring a Rural Church Isn’t a “Lesser” Ministry

I’ve spent most of my life in rural churches. I was raised in one and serve as the pastor of one now. But my family and I have also been members of a mega-church, and we attended a healthy suburban church in which God introduced me to expositional preaching, church membership, and biblical leadership in elders and deacons.

Along my “church journey,” I’ve met many wonderful brothers and sisters who serve in urban contexts. We’ve been able to share encouraging testimonies together and pray for one another. Here’s one thing I’ve noticed: while there are differences in our contexts—rural, urban, suburban—I cannot help but see the striking similarities. In fact, I think we’re all more alike than we realize.

One People

Jesus’ ministry transcended Galilee and pushed to Jerusalem—from a poor agro-town to a bustling city. As he was traveling, he preached one gospel, pointing people to himself—no matter the location.

This is vital to understanding ministry. Whether we’re called to Farmington, Missouri or Washington, D.C, our goal is to help people do two things: understand the Bible and follow Jesus. And while we’re commanded in Scripture to give ourselves to a gospel-believing local church, we must never forget that we’re also a part of something massive—the universal church.

In the new heavens and the new earth, people from all over the world will finally be with God; the universal church will finally gather. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God’” (Rev. 21:3). All of God’s redeemed people will be “one people,” sinless and fully living in his presence. Because of this, we must never forget that God is doing marvelous work all over the world—through rural churches, urban churches, suburban churches, and churches all across the world.

We should be encouraged that no matter our context, we’re in step with something God has already been doing. God is saving people, sanctifying people, and ultimately glorifying people for his name’s sake. We simply get to be a part of it. That means that no matter where we’re located, and no matter how well-known (or obscure) we are throughout the world, we can take heart because we’re laboring for the King of Kings and he sees our struggles and sweat, our triumph and tears. Take heart. There’s no such thing as a “lesser” ministry.

One Gospel

Romans helps us understand humanity. “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). The whole world is full of sin through Adam; therefore, the whole world needs to be saved through Jesus. Now, many pastors already know that all sinners need salvation through the person and work of Christ, but many may not feel the weight of the need. When pastors do not focus on the “need” first, then they tend to drift into a kind of consumeristic ministry.

Consumeristic ministry is a tricky thing to describe. Sometimes, though not always, pastors may find themselves choosing places of ministry solely based on their felt needs. Sometimes it’s because of proximity to family or financial security or the nearby school system; the list goes on and on. Of course, these needs are legitimate and important to consider, but sometimes these perks can cloud our view when seeking a place of ministry. Just as pastors try to teach their members about avoiding consumerism in the church, they can just as easily find themselves approaching the ministry this way—and this kind of thinking can leave rural towns overlooked and underfed.

Let’s illustrate this. In any location, from a city to a “one stop-light” town, there are certain things necessary for community living—things like police officers, fire departments, a city hall, grocery stores, and so on. People need to be policed because crimes happen in every community. Fire departments need to be ready because fires happen in every community. Every society has needs and the difference between societies determines the different fulfillment of those needs. Depending on the location, fires may only happen a few times a year, so fire fighters may be full-time or part-time—but be sure, sooner or later a fire will ignite and they’ll be needed.

The same application can be made for churches. No matter the context, people need salvation. They need the gospel. They need faithful preachers to proclaim to them: “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Matt 3:2).

Remember, this gospel was first preached in the small, poor, agricultural Galilee. God can—and does—do remarkable things in unremarkable places.

One Bible

One of the most fascinating things about the church is the fact that every Sunday many Christians gather into buildings and hear from the same God by reading the same Bible. For 2,000 years, the church has been built and edified through the preaching and reading of God’s Word. Faith comes through hearing Scripture (Rom. 10:17). When pastors stand behind the pulpit, their main objective is to open the pages of Scripture, preach Christ, and help people see their need to follow him. So even in remote places, even when it may seem like nothing powerful is taking place, if Christ is being preached, if God’s Word is being explained, then the Holy Spirit is at work. God always accomplishes his purposes through his Word (Isa. 55:11).

Scripture also plays a role in the everyday life of the church as it guides God’s people through worship and conduct. For example, every church must look to God’s Word to find the responsibilities and obligations of its members. Church membership and discipline—the keys of the kingdom from Matthew 16 and 18—are given to us by Christ. We find this authority in the Word of God.

The Bible is not a book for “some Christians.” Sometimes, rural churches have a reputation for being “non-theological,” as if God’s truth and biblical doctrine don’t matter to rural congregations. Well, that can be true—just like it can be true anywhere. But there are many rural churches that hunger and thirst for sound doctrine.

Here’s the point: If you’re a pastor in a rural setting, or a pastor-to-be contemplating rural ministry, you need to understand that God has placed these churches in line with the rest of his church throughout history. These churches are built and edified by the power of God’s Word. The faithful pastor keeps the Word at the fore. That’s no small task.

One Head

The U.S. military is an amazing group of men and women. Troops are located all over the world—in populated and desolate places. Some are “Active Duty” and some are “Reserves.” But, no matter the location or the service, all military personnel ultimately serve under one office: the Commander-In-Chief, the President of the United States.

This analogy helps us understand the church. Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18). Similarly, Paul said, “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent” (Col 1:18). In other words, the Pope isn’t the head of the church, pastors aren’t the heads of the church, certain members aren’t the heads of the church—Jesus and Jesus alone is the head of his church, and he shares his position with no one.

What’s more, Jesus isn’t only the head of special churches only. He’s not just the head of hip church plant or well-known mega-churches. Jesus is the head of every gospel-preaching local church on the globe.

Celebrity status is a major temptation for many pastors, and it really shouldn’t be. Of course, pastors would be fools to say they don’t want anybody listening to their sermons, but problems arise when pastors desire for their kingdom to grow more than others. All our ministry is under the headship of Christ. The church is his and his alone.

In Revelation 5:13, we see this in vivid color: “And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!’” On that last day, every creature will look to Jesus. He is Lord. So, look not at your so-called “small” ministry, and seek not to make a name for yourself. Seek Jesus and his glory instead because everything eventually funnels into his glory anyway.

Conclusion

Though it’s true that rural and urban churches have many differences, it’s important not to overstate the case. We must stop classifying ourselves to pieces and realize we are all a part of a body that transcends time, space, and geography. As I heard Mark Dever say once, “The most important things about your church are what it shares with every other true church in history.”

Amazingly, even small, rural churches inherit the powerful kingdom of God through the blood of his Son.

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Prison Sentence for Pastor Shows China Feels Threatened by Spread of Christianity, Experts Say

Amy Gunia,Time•January 2, 2020

Wang Yi was waiting for his arrest. Months before authorities swept into his church in the city of Chengdu in December 2018 and detained him, the outspoken pastor had prepared a six-page, handwritten statement denying the allegations he was sure the Chinese Communist Party would make against him for his work at one of China’s best-known underground churches.

In the end, the Chinese government didn’t even bother making a public case against him. On Monday, Wang was sentenced to nine years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power” and “illegal business activities” following closed-door proceedings.

The pastor, who is the founder of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu will also be “stripped of political rights” for three years and have approximately $7,200 of his assets seized, according to a government statement.

Wang is a well-known Christian leader and was invited to the White House in 2006 by George W. Bush to discuss religious freedom in China. The U.S. was quick to denounce the prison sentence this week. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized the verdict and called for his release: “I am alarmed that Pastor Wang Yi, leader of Chengdu’s Early Rain house church, was tried in secret and sentenced to nine years in prison on trumped-up charges.”

Another leader at the church, located in the capital of Sichuan province, Qin Defu was sentenced to four years in prison for “illegal business operations” in November. Approximately 50 others from the church have been jailed, and some of those who have not been imprisoned have been subjected to harassment by the police or placed under house arrest, according to a Facebook page run by church supporters.

The lengthy sentence, and secret proceedings, show that the Chinese Communist Party feels threatened by the rapid spread of Christianity in the country—especially from churches that operate outside of the government’s rules, experts say.

Fenggang Yang, a professor of sociology and the Director of the Center on Religion and Chinese Society at Purdue University tells TIME that there are about 116 million Protestant Christians in mainland China in 2020.

“It is almost certain that by 2030 there will be more Christians in China than any other country in the world,” Yang says. Christians in China are predominantly Protestant, he adds.

Compare that with an estimated 90 million members in the Communist Party, and government leaders believe they have cause for concern, Willy Lam, adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Center for China Studies says.

Underground churches are “spreading like wildfire” in rural areas of China, he says. “[The Chinese government] is afraid that more people, including less educated people, are turning to the church for their spiritual needs and not to official nationalism and patriotism.”

Underground churches, which have not registered with the government and are sometimes called “house churches” because gatherings are often held in members’ homes, have reported increased repression since the introduction of new regulations in 2018 that effectively banned “unauthorized” religious teachings and required religious groups to report any online activity.

Wang—known for being outspoken—would not comply with Chinese government requirements to register with China’s Religious Affairs Bureau to be recognized by the government, according to Amnesty International.

“He preaches the separation of church and state, he believes the party state apparatus should not intervene in the church,” Lam says.

China is officially atheist but its constitution guarantees its citizens “freedom of religious belief” for “normal religious activities.” The Chinese government officially recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism. More than a dozen religious and spiritual groups, including Falun Gong, are branded “evil cults” and banned in China.

“Even in official churches, CCTV cameras and other surveillance equipment are installed in every church so that the state knows what the pastor or the priest might be talking about in their sermons,” Lam says.

Some activists say that Wang’s harsh sentence may be a warning for the leaders underground churches to fall into line.

“The government wants to force all churches to register with the officially-sanctioned church so that they can be completely under government control,” Patrick Poon, a researcher at Amnesty International, tells TIME.

The Chinese government is wary of organized religion and has implemented strict rules that religious organizations must follow to operate there. And religious repression has worsened since Xi Jinping—who has cracked down on all forms of dissent and jailed human rights activists, lawyers and journalists—became president in 2013.

Chinese authorities have removed crosses and Christian slogans from churches, confiscated church property, ordered some churches to close and questioned some church leaders or members, according to rights group Amnesty International. Hundreds of Protestant house churches have been closed in recent years, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. In late 2018, one of the largest unofficial Protestant churches in China, the Zion church in Beijing, was shuttered.

Read More: Guerrillas for God: How Hong Kong’s Pastors Are Delivering the Message to China’s Christians

It’s not just Christians facing persecution in China, where an estimated 18% of the population is Buddhist and 2% of the population is Muslim. In far northwestern Xinjiang, more than a million Muslim-majority Uighurs and other ethnic minorities have been detained and subjected to “re-education” and evidence of large-scale destruction of mosques has been reported. In Tibet, repression has worsened under Xi’s rule. Some citizens of the region, where extensive surveillance technology has been implemented and groups of heavily-armed Chinese police keep a watchful eye in the capital Lhasa, have been ordered to replace altars to religious figures like the exiled Dalai Lama with shrines to Xi, according to rights groups.

“Over the last few years, we have seen increasing Chinese government persecution of religious believers from many faiths and from all parts of the mainland,” former Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, who is President Donald Trump’s Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, said on a conference call attended by TIME in early 2019.

In a statement, the U.S. State Department called Wang’s persecution “yet another example of Beijing’s intensification of repression of Chinese Christians and members of other religious groups.”

“In Chinese civil society there is no other organization that rivals the Christian and Catholic churches as a potential threat to the Chinese Communist Party monopoly on power,” Lam says.

“Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party regards the Christian church as the number one enemy.”

Five Reasons Rural and Small-Town Churches are Making a…

By Thom S. Rainer

The obituaries of rural and small-town churches are premature.

Indeed, we continue to see clear evidence of hope and promise for both the churches and the communities. While the need is still great in the cities and more urban populations, we cannot ignore God’s work and opportunities in less populous areas.

What is taking place to give us such optimism and hope? Allow me to share five reasons. I must admit I was surprised at some of the research I found on this topic.

1. The migration trend from these less populated areas has reversed. There seems to be conventional wisdom that people are fleeing rural areas. There is a good reason for this perception. It indeed has been a negative trend for decades. But did you know the trend has reversed? Did you know the rate of decline in rural populations began reversing in 2011? Did you know the population in rural areas actually began increasing in 2016? This development is huge and should not be ignored by church leaders, denominations, and networks!
2. There are a lot of people in rural and small-town areas. The population number depends on how you define rural and small town. If you include any areas under 2,500 in population, there are 60 million people living there. That is a huge mission field that cannot be ignored.
3. More church leaders are expressing a calling to rural churches and small-town churches. Though our data is anecdotal, we have confidence we are seeing a trend. We began to notice it more in our conversations with Gen Xers and Millennials, but we are seeing this trend even among older Boomer pastors today. Much like the move to replanting and revitalization, we are seeing a calling among these leaders to become a part of these churches and communities.
4. More church leaders are serious about rooting themselves and their families in these communities and churches. Part of the calling we are hearing is a desire to establish roots in these less populated areas. For many decades for many leaders, these churches were perceived more as stepping stones to the next opportunity. This attitude is shifting. The metaphor is changing from steppingstones to roots.
5. The simpler life of rural or small-town areas is becoming increasingly attractive to many people, including church leaders. Simply stated, many people are weary of the frenetic pace and cluttered life often emblematic of more densely populated areas. There is a desire to return to the basics of an uncluttered life. Church leaders are among those seeking this life balance.

The revitalization and replanting movement is growing. Among those churches in this growing movement are churches in rural churches and in small towns. It is an incredible thing to watch.

God has not given up on rural and small-town churches. We shouldn’t either. Let me hear from you.

Hey, Boomers! Let’s Step Up and Be the Elders…

What’s wrong with today’s younger generations?

I hear that question all the time. Especially from my fellow Baby Boomers.

The quick answer?

Nothing.

Nothing is wrong with the current and upcoming generations that hasn’t been wrong with every previous generation.

With one possible exception. They don’t have the elders and mentors that almost every previous generation before them has had.

And why is that? Because (I hate to say it) my generation of Boomers is not discipling the next generation as well as previous generations did for us.

Boomers, It’s Time to Become Elders

If you, like me, are a Christian and a Boomer (born between 1946 and 1964) you need to know that our primary mission at this stage of our lives is to become the elders and equippers that every generation of the church always needs.

Instead, too many of us stand back, cross our arms and complain that Millennials are entitled, they’re lazy, they’re loud, they’re (insert your complaint here…on second thought, don’t).

But that is no truer of this generation than of our generation. In fact, I’m convinced that the biggest “sin” Millennials have committed in the eyes of many of my Boomer colleagues is…not wanting to do church exactly the way we did it.

But no generation should do church exactly the way anyone else did it. Because they’re not like anyone else.

Each generation needs to honor God, worship Jesus, disciple believers, reach their community and teach the unchangeable truths of God’s Word in the way God leads them to do it. Not in the way their parents are most comfortable with.

A Generation Ready to Be Mentored

Like every generation that preceded them, today’s young believers need the wisdom, kindness and counsel of previous generations to become the mature disciples they want to be.

And, despite all the protestations to the contrary, this new generation is as open, maybe even more open to being mentored by their elders than Boomers ever were. We’re the ones who came up with the phrase “don’t trust anyone over 30,” remember?

If we will step up, they will listen. But we can’t become the elders the church needs by complaining, demanding or whining about them.

Here are three ways we Boomers can start to become the elders the church needs:

1. Stop Isolating, Start Engaging

We won’t be heard if we refuse to participate.

In too many churches, pastors are still having to divide the church into young/old, contemporary/traditional categories to try and please everyone. And, in my experience, that happens far more often because Boomers refuse to sing new songs than because Millennials refuse to sing old ones.

We need to show up, help out and worship with all our heart and passion, whether we like the music or not.

We can’t lead, guide and help younger generations if we’re cutting ourselves off from them during the time the entire body should be getting together.

2. Stop Complaining, Start Encouraging

No one will open themselves up to learn from a person whose default response is to complain about everything—or most things.

Complainers have little influence. Encouragers have a lot. After all, no one’s life was ever made worse by receiving too much encouragement.

Too many compliments? Too much flattery? Those are a problem. But there’s no such thing as too much encouragement.

If you want to have influence start by being an encouragement. Encouragement is like water in the desert. It softens hearts, cools tempers and opens people up to receive what we have to give.

3. Stop Demanding, Start Equipping

Now I’m gonna get blunt.

If you’re a mature believer, you need to act like one. Show up at church to serve, not to be served.

Put yourself in a position of influence by becoming the servant Jesus calls all of us to be.

Stop demanding that the pastor, the worship leader and the young people (if your church has any) do church your way, and start asking how you can help the next generation serve Jesus with even greater passion and wisdom than previous generations.

We have the years. The experience. The tools. The maturity.

Now we need to add the willingness to engage, encourage and equip. And maybe even learn a few new things along the way.

It’s time to get to work.

Forget the 200 Barrier

The 200 Barrier needs to be retired.

We have to erase it from our church leadership lexicon before it does any more harm to good churches and their pastors.

Yes, there is a difference in the way churches behave administratively under and over 200 (give or take 50). It would be foolish not to acknowledge and teach that reality. But it’s time to stop referring to 200 as a barrier.

Calling it The 200 Barrier carries some dangerous implications – starting with the implication that a church over 200 is better than a church under 200. What evidence is there, either biblical or analytical, that churches over 200 have greater value than churches under 200?

What evidence is there, either biblical or analytical, that churches over 200 have greater value than churches under 200? Do they automatically have a greater impact on their community because of their size? Are they better at discipleship? Evangelism? Worship? No, no, no and no.

Sure, larger churches do some things better than smaller ones. But small churches can do other things better than bigger ones.

Instead, we need to help pastors and churches break through the Grasshopper Barrier.

What is The Grasshopper Barrier?

The Grasshopper Barrier is the emotional/spiritual wall that causes us to keep believing The Grasshopper Myth.

What is The Grasshopper Myth?

Definition: The false impression that our small church ministry is less than what God says it is because we compare ourselves with others.

Origin: The Hebrews at the edge of the Promised Land.

All the people we saw there are of great size. … We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them. – Numbers 13:32-33

Symptoms: Lack of vision, faith, courage, effectiveness and freedom.

Prognosis: A lifetime of wandering, whining and placing blame. And yes, it is contagious.

The Grasshopper Barrier is a toxic mindset that keeps churches and pastors from recognizing The Grasshopper Myth for the lie that it is.

It holds small churches and their pastors hostage to the debilitating poison that they are less than merely because their church is smaller than. And it stops many of them from enjoying and releasing the blessings of being a healthy and healthful small church.

What’s Wrong With Breaking Through the 200 Barrier?

Of course there’s nothing wrong with a church growing bigger than 200. Or 2,000. Or 20,000. In fact, there’s a whole lot that’s right with it. We should always strive for and celebrate church growth.

But church growth is more than numbers. Despite what the 200 Barrier implies, many churches contribute to the growth of the church without seeing the corresponding numerical growth in their congregation.

We need to end our obsession with The 200 Barrier because it has damaged a lot of good people.

• It implies that smaller churches are less valuable than bigger churches
• It belittles the valuable ministry of small churches and their pastors
• It causes unhealthy churches to devote their limited resources to getting bigger instead of getting healthier
• It encourages pridefulness in pastors whose churches are bigger than 200
• It promotes a false view of success in ministry
• It reinforces The Grasshopper Myth

But mostly, the term 200 Barrier needs to be retired because of one simple truth: The 200 Barrier doesn’t exist! It has no biblical basis! We made it up!

The 200 Barrier doesn’t exist! It has no biblical basis! We made it up! 200 is not a barrier. It’s just a number.

The fact that churches above 200 require a different administrative approach doesn’t make 200 a barrier. It doesn’t make churches above 200 better. And if over 200 isn’t better, then moving from under 200 to over 200 isn’t breaking through a barrier, it’s just getting bigger.

Why the Grasshopper Barrier Needs to Be Broken

The Grasshopper Barrier, on the other hand, is very real – whatever we choose to call it. Because it does the same damage to churches and their leaders today that it did to the Hebrews on the other side of the Jordan.

• It keeps small churches and their leaders stuck in a cycle of frustration, fear and self-despising
• It paralyzes more ministers and churches than it inspires
• It causes many good people in smaller ministries to quit too soon
• It encourages us to judge ourselves by unbiblical standards
• It is self-reliant, not God-dependent
• It induces guilt and shame when churches don’t get bigger
• It encourages pride when churches do get bigger
• It’s magnifies our fear, not our faith

Being small is not a problem until we think it is. Being small is not a problem until we think it is.

And nothing makes us think small is a problem more than seeing a grasshopper in our mirror.

It’s possible for a church to break through the 200 Barrier without becoming healthier. But breaking through the Grasshopper Barrier is an essential ingredient to the health of any church – or any person.

God’s OK With Small

God is neither limited nor empowered by our size. He knows how small your church is. And he wants to use you right now at the size you are right now.

The only problem with smallness is when we think being small is a problem.

God doesn’t think smallness is a problem. And he doesn’t see 200 as a barrier.

But he couldn’t use a nation that saw themselves as grasshoppers. That’s the real barrier. And it needs to be broken.

Move To Be An Equipping Ministry

4 Steps To Start Moving From Teaching A Crowd To Equipping The SaintsTeaching requires two things: a competent instructor and receptive students. Equipping and discipling require much more.

In The Biggest Mistake Teaching Pastors Tend to Make – And How To Correct It, I encouraged pastors to move from being a teaching pastor to an equipping pastor, based on the Pastoral Prime Mandate of Ephesians 4:11-12.

But what I didn’t do, as pointed out by several readers, was give any ideas of how to do that – which was simply due to the limitations of time and space. That’s a lot of ground to cover in a short blog post.

To remedy that, here are a handful of previous posts that give you a few “how to’s”,

• The Best Way To Avoid Pastor Burnout? Equip The Saints
• Mentoring Is Better than Curriculum: Seven Steps to Better Discipleship
• Five Simple Steps to Mentor New Believers (Without Overworking the Pastor)

And now, in today’s post I’ll lay out a simple (you might say simplistic – and you’d be right) breakdown of four essential elements we must do to move from being a teaching pastor to an equipping pastor.

This list is not exhaustive. That can’t be done in a single article, or even a single book, for that matter. But they can serve as a starting line for those who want to move beyond teaching into discipling.

The Difference Between Teaching And Discipling

Teaching requires two things: a competent instructor and receptive students.

Equipping and discipling require much more.

The difference can be seen in the ways Jesus addressed a crowd, compared to how he addressed his disciples. The New Testament says he taught, scolded and had compassion on crowds (Mark 10:1, Luke 11:29, Matt 9:36). But with the disciples, he did much more.

To start getting a handle on what it means to become a disciple/equipper, here are a few essentials we see Jesus doing with his disciples:

1. An intentional relationship

Teaching can happen from an anonymous source to an anonymous recipient. For instance, most of the people who read this blog post are unknown to me, and I am unknown to you. That doesn’t mean we can’t learn from each other, but we can’t really disciple each other. Discipleship requires a relationship because equipping the saints is far more than downloading information.

Discipleship requires a relationship because equipping the saints is far more than downloading information, it’s a willing surrender of a person’s life for the growth of their character and behavior.

This is one of the reasons discipleship must be done in smaller groups, whether a small church, or small groups within a large church.

2. A living example

As one helpful reader pointed out in my Facebook page comment section after my last blog post, one of the goals in a mentoring/discipling relationship is that “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40)

Jesus didn’t just want the disciples to know about him, he wanted them to know him and become like him. He wanted them to have the kind of relationship with him that he has with the Father. So he led by example to show them how to pray, how to love the Father, how to respond to criticism, how to live a holy life, how to love your enemies, and so much more.

You can receive valuable information from someone who might be an immoral scoundrel. But you can only be properly discipled by someone who’s living a life that’s at least one step closer to being the person God wants you to be.

3. A clear assignment

After Jesus walked with the disciples for a while, he sent 72 of them out with a very specific assignment to prepare the towns where he was heading to be ready for his arrival.

(Note, he also sent them two-by-two, to be sure to keep the relationship aspect as active as possible.)

4. An accurate assessment

After the 72 returned, they reported to Jesus what had happened and he assessed the value of how well they had completed their task.

More Than Teaching

Teaching is important. Therefore, good discipleship and equipping will always have dissemination of knowledge as an essential element. But an equipping pastor (or any of the other five ministry gifts in Eph 4:11-12) will do more than impart knowledge.

Like the teachings of Jesus, the best sermons don’t just impart knowledge, they’re seen as one element of many in a thorough discipling/equipping process. An equipping process cannot be done without walking beside, living among, doing with and assessing after.

An equipping process cannot be done without walking beside, living among, doing with and assessing after.

Yes, that requires far more work than delivering a sermon or correcting someone on Facebook – which is probably the main reason we default to those instead of doing the hard work of equipping. But that’s our mandate.

Teaching creates students.

Equipping prepares disciples.

Making disciples is what the Great Commission is all about.

How to Stay Healthy While Serving a Unhealthy Church

A healthy church is a great place of healing.

But an unhealthy church causes problems for everyone who touches it – including the pastor who’s called to help turn it around.

More people get sick in hospitals than anywhere else. Because that’s where the sick people are. Health care professionals know this, so they have stringent protocols to keep themselves from contracting the diseases they’re trying to cure.

Churches are the same.

So how does a pastor keep spiritually and emotionally healthy while living, worshiping and leading in an unhealthy environment?

I’ve pastored in three church turnaround situations – two of which worked, one that didn’t. Turning an unhealthy church around is one of the hardest tasks any pastor will ever be called to do. Don’t attempt it without observing these nine principles to protect yourself and your family:

1. Be Proactive, not Just Reactive

This was the first, and one of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in pastoring.

Don’t stay in fix-it mode, responding to every need, crisis and emergency that arises. Yes, those have to be responded to, especially in a turnaround situation. But if that’s all you’re doing – or even the main thing you’re doing – the church and you will suffer for it.

When we stay in reactive mode, the squeaky wheels are in control. Not us. Not Jesus. When we stay in reactive mode, the squeaky wheels are in control. Not us. Not Jesus.

A pastor who wants to stay healthy while bringing a church into health needs a plan. Something designed to replace the current toxic environment.

It’s not enough to drain the swamp. We need to replace it with something of value.

This is essential for the pastors’ mental and emotional health, because there are fewer things that will draw us into an unhealthy church’s drama than constantly living in reaction to that drama.

2. Invest in Teachable People

There’s a great scene from the movie The Untouchables, where they’re trying to figure out how to build a team of agents in Al Capone’s Chicago who aren’t already on the take. The older cop (played by Sean Connery) tells Elliot Ness (played by Kevin Costner) “If you’re afraid of getting a rotten apple, don’t go to the barrel. Get it off the tree.”

The next shot in the movie shows them at the police academy, looking through the qualifications of new recruits. They haven’t been in the police department yet, so they cannot possibly have been corrupted by it. Thus, they’re untouchable.

That scene is a turning point in the movie, and that idea can be a turning point in the life of a toxic church – and in a turnaround pastors’ ministry.

Instead of depending on dug-in church members, a turnaround pastor needs to look for those who are willing to be teachable. Often, that means investing your time into the young, the new and the untested. It may even mean going outside the walls of the church to bring them in.

This also assures that the pastor will spend some time in life-giving, forward-looking discipleship, not just problem-solving.

3. Meet With a Coach, Mentor or Spiritual Director

Too many pastors are trying to go it alone. That’s hard to do in a healthy church. In an unhealthy one, it can kill you. Too many pastors are trying to go it alone. That’s hard enough in a healthy church. In an unhealthy one, it can kill you.

Find a mentor, coach and/or spiritual director. If you can’t find someone who does that as their ministerial calling, get together with a local pastor (active or retired) who you can trust.

If you live in a rural area with few options, pick up the phone and call some of your old seminary professors, your denominational officials or a former pastor (of yours, not of the church you’re serving). It may take a few calls to find the right fit, but don’t give up until you find someone.

It’s best if you can find someone who’s done a church turnaround themselves, but it isn’t a requirement. What matters is that you have a mature minister who can listen to you, pray with you and offer Godly wisdom – not just about the church, but about your own emotional and spiritual health.

And no, this can’t be your spouse. Although you should lean on each other, each of you needs someone else to bounce things off of.

4. Make Your Own Spiritual Life a Priority

The Bible is more than a collection of sermon texts. Prayer is more than petitions we make on behalf of others. The spiritual disciplines must be lived and strengthened within our own lives before we can teach them to others.

Don’t neglect your own spiritual nourishment.

5. Protect Yourself Against Known Temptations and Triggers

Everyone has a unique set of temptations and triggers. Don’t ignore them or beat yourself up for them. Acknowledge them and protect yourself against them.

Find an accountability partner if needed (maybe your mentor or coach, as seen above). Moderate your behavior so you don’t allow triggers to enter your life. Stay away from places, behaviors and people that pull you into temptations. Note your body clock and seasonal weaknesses, so you can get extra help when you know you’ll be vulnerable.

And, above all, stay strong spiritually (as seen in the previous point). Put on the whole armor of God.

6. Observe a Sabbath

Unless your church meets on another day of the week, Sunday is not your Sabbath. It’s a work day. So take Sabbath on another day. Mine is Monday.

Every pastor needs a regular down time. This isn’t a suggestion, it’s in God’s top ten. Every pastor needs a regular down time. This isn’t a suggestion, it’s in God’s top ten.

And get plenty of sleep and exercise, too. Discouragements and temptations thrive in the Petri dish of exhaustion and physical ill-health.

7. Draw Clear Boundaries Around Personal and Family Time

The order of our priorities must always be Jesus, then family, then the work of the Church.

It takes an amazing amount of time and energy to turn around an unhealthy or toxic church. We can’t let it steal the time that belongs to our families – especially our spouse.

Aside from time spent on our walk with Christ, there is no more hope-giving and joy-sustaining aspect of life than time spent with a family that loves and cares for each other.

On the other side of that, there’s nothing that will shortcut the potential for effective ministry faster than neglecting our family. When we do, we suffer and so do they – often to the point where they can start resenting us, the church and even God himself.

8. Don’t Help Them More than They’re Willing to Help Themselves

This is the first rule for anyone who works in recovery ministry. You can’t force anyone to get better who isn’t willing to put the work in for themselves.

Sometimes, that means leaving a church once you discover that they aren’t ever likely to step up. At other times, it means working with the remnant that is willing (see point 2, above).

But it always means pulling the best out of them, not doing the work for them.

That won’t happen overnight, but if there isn’t some evidence that church members want that, no amount of prayer, work or coaxing will turn around an unhealthy church that doesn’t want to turn around.

9. Remember You’re their Pastor, Not their Savior

It’s Jesus’ role to save people and build his church.

The pastor’s calling is to equip the saints to do the work of ministry.

Never confuse the two.

For Every Minister Who Struggles With Your Prayer Life

Real prayer is about the relationship. And relationships are hard. Even (especially?) with God.

A healthy prayer life is hard work.

If you’re one of those Christians who finds your prayer life to be easy, joyous and endlessly fulfilling, we’re grateful for you and the role you play in the body of Christ. But that’s not the way it is for most of us.

Pastors are not immune to struggling with our prayer life. In my experience and conversations, plus almost every poll taken about the prayer lives of ministers, pastors who struggle with prayer are in the majority.

So if you’re a minister who is less than satisfied with your prayer life, I hope it helps to know you’re not alone.

Prayer is really hard for most of us. Including me. And I think I know why.

Prayer is hard because the results are long-term.

No Magic Words

If prayers were answered within 24 hours – or 365 days – we’d all be praying machines! But they aren’t. They’re not supposed to be.

Many prayers take a lifetime to be answered. Some take longer than that. And most aren’t even requests, they’re conversational. Prayer is more about developing a long-term relationship with the God who made us than getting what we want.

Prayer is not a set of magic words that make our wishes appear or our problems disappear. Prayer is more about developing a long-term relationship with the God who made us than getting what we want. At least it should be. And relationships are never quick and easy. The greatest benefits are always long-term.

I believe this is why most people, including most pastors, admit they don’t spend nearly as much time in prayer as they should – or as they want to. According to several surveys, prayer remains the least satisfactory aspect of pastors’ spiritual lives.

Because real prayer is about relationship. And relationships are hard. Even (especially?) with God.

The Shortcuts We Settle For

We all struggle with the age-old question, “Is God pleased with me and what I’m doing?” Because prayer is hard, many of us use cheap substitutes to answer that question.

Instead of wrestling with the difficult aspects of our relationship with Jesus, many pastors rely on the newest church leadership methods and systems to answer the “is God pleased with me?” question.

It’s quicker and easier to measure our success through numbers and metrics than it is to struggle with our insecurities through prayer.

But quicker and easier aren’t better.

Easy Is Cheap – Good Things Cost Us Something

That’s not to say that pastors who teach methods and metrics, or whose ministries have growing numbers don’t have great prayer lives or spiritual depth. Many have both.

But too many of us, in churches large and small, have traded the long-term, often unseen benefits of a deeper, richer spiritual life for a more immediate, tangible, results-oriented ministry.

Our spiritual lives suffer when we do that. And so do our churches and ministries. And that’s when the numbers are up! When the numbers are down… oh my.

I believe this is a primary reason for all the negative stats about pastoral burnout, ethical failures, even suicides. We’re trying to satisfy our longing to be valued in all the wrong places.

But we know better.

The Struggle Matters

If you’re struggling with your prayer life, good for you. The struggle means it’s still alive. If you’re struggling with your prayer life, good for you. The struggle means it’s still alive.

But even if you’ve given up, there’s still hope.

Get back in touch with the God who created, saved and called you. Embrace the struggle.

Do the day-to-day work that all relationships require. And, through that, find the joy and strength on the far side of the struggle.

Sure, prayer is hard work. So is any relationship.

But, just like every other relationship, what makes it hard is also what makes it valuable.

How To Start Training Your Church Leaders To Become…

As pastors, we have a solemn obligation to equip church members to do ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12).

Instead, too many pastors burn out because the pastor and the church members expect the pastor to do most or all of the ministry for them. Too many pastors burn out because the pastor and the church members expect the pastor to do most or all of the ministry for them.

Making the transition from the doer of ministry to the equipper of ministers is very hard for most pastors to do. And it can be even harder for church members to understand, let alone step up to. After all, pastors are in ministry because we’re passionate about doing it, and we’ve trained our congregations for generations to let us do it for them.

Shifting from doing all the ministry, to training others to do ministry doesn’t come easily. But it is essential. And it’s biblical.

Put Equipping On The Agenda

The idea that the pastor and other church leaders should do all the ministry for church members is very deeply ingrained in our churches and our pastoral psyches. So we can’t expect things to change overnight – for either the pastor or the church members.

But here’s a simple strategy that can help any church start down that road, giving everyone some early success.

Put “equipping God’s people” on the agenda. Literally.

This is a simple, practical first step to help you or your team start building a team.

In every regular leadership meeting, ask your team members (deacons, elders, staff, volunteers) to share an instance since your previous meeting when they had someone else do ministry with them, instead of just doing it themselves.

Then, lead them by your own example.

This is a simple way to encourage everyone, including yourself, to stop doing everything on your own and start bringing others along for the ride.

If you don’t have a team of volunteers, start holding yourself accountable with the help of a spouse or other responsible person.

Set aside a time every week in which they will ask if you did all the ministry yourself this week, or if you brought someone else along with you for at least one task or event. Then look ahead and set aside some opportunities to bring someone along in the coming week.

Why This Simple Step Works

This small step has two ingredients that help us change our mindset about what it means to be a church leader.

First, it’s doable. Every leader can bring someone along on a hospital visit, ask someone to help them set up or tear down for a meeting, and so on.

Second, it has accountability baked in. If every church leader knows they have to answer that question in every leadership team meeting, they’ll actively look for ways to start doing it.

It may go slow at first. People forget, they get busy, or they just don’t feel like it.

But when everyone else starts giving their progress reports, attitudes start to change. You get to celebrate forward motion, you start seeing results, and the value of it becomes obvious. Changing the mindset of leaders from being doers to becoming equippers won’t be quick or easy.

Eventually, this behavior will become more automatic, then it will start to spread through the rest of the church.

Changing the mindset of leaders from being doers to becoming equippers won’t be quick or easy. And this little exercise is just the start, not the finish line.

But all great things start with small steps like this.

9 Essential Elements of a Healthy Small Church Experience

When someone goes to a healthy small church for the first time, what should they expect?

That’s an easier question to answer for big churches, because they have a lot more in common with each other. Once any group – church or not – is serving 1,000 or more people at a time, certain systems have to be in place. So, while big churches each have their own personality, there is a level of quality control that we all expect to see. Age-appropriate Kid Ministries, high-end musicianship, professional-quality graphics and printed materials, etc. It’s like going to a brand-name restaurant when you’re travelling. There’s a comfort level in knowing what you’re going to get.

But the kinds of experiences you’ll have in small churches varies widely. It’s more like visiting a new town and deciding to check out the local diner. You don’t know what you’re going to get, but you take the risk because you want regional cuisine. And you’re hoping for an experience you can’t get anywhere else.

But, even in a small church, as varied as they are, first-time guests have the right to expect certain things that tell them the church is healthy. Like a local restaurant should observe standard requirements for cleanliness, service and food quality, small churches should have a baseline of quality that people can rely on.

Here are a few principles that I think meet a minumum standard that every guest has a right to expect in any healthy small church. These are universal. The standards every church needs to observe if they want to create a great worship experience that people will want to come back for.

This list isn’t complete. So feel free to add your ideas in the comment section.

1. Genuine, Intentional Friendliness

This is the main reason people go to a small church instead of a big one – connectedness and community. While lack of it is probably the #1 reason guests won’t return. All healthy small churches should excel at this. Friendliness is not automatic in any church. We have to be intentional about it.

But friendliness is not automatic in any church. We have to be intentional about it. It’s very intimidating for someone to walk into a small church for the first time. Receiving, or not receiving a genuinely friendly greeting may make or break that experience for them.

You may think your church is friendly. Most church people do, because that’s where their friends are. But we must be intentional about reaching outside of our own circle to welcome others in.

2. Sincere, Passionate Worship and Prayer

Your small church probably isn’t putting out a studio-quality worship album this year. In fact, your response to that last sentence may have been “Yeah, right. What worship team?!” But that doesn’t mean your worship can’t be sincere and passionate.

I haven’t been quiet about the fact that I prefer new music for my worship experience. But new or old doesn’t really matter. Even though I believe we should do it the best we can, real worship isn’t about the songs or the musicianship. It’s about hearts turned towards Jesus in praise and prayer.

3. A Building that’s Been Painted Within the Last Decade

In 1985 I was in a church in Eastern Europe. The poverty was oppressive. The building had no indoor plumbing. But what they did have was tended to with great care and respect.

If your church has a building, it needs to be kept up. That means budgeting for long-term maintenance like painting, repairing leaks, etc. It doesn’t need to be perfect – a lot of small churches aren’t able to pay their pastor’s salary, so it can be hard to justify upgrading the building. But the free, or almost-free things like painting the building and cutting the grass show care and concern.

4. A Building that’s Been Cleaned Within the Last Week

You don’t even need to own a building to do this. Wherever you’re meeting needs to be scrubbed clean. Especially the restrooms and kids’ areas.

5. Start On Time

I know not everyone gets to church on time. I’ve started services with fewer people in the seats than on stage. But if you get into the habit of starting late because people arrive late, they’ll get into the habit of coming even later.

A late start may not bother regular attenders, but it makes newcomers feel very awkward and uncomfortable. Starting on schedule tells your guests that you’re prepared, that you care about them and that you respect their time. Starting on schedule tells your guests that you’re prepared, that you care about them and that you respect their time.

6. Accurate, Up-to-Date Ministry Information

Whether you have a handout bulletin, a website, a Facebook page or you write announcements on a roll of butcher paper in the lobby (our church does all four) the information must be accurate and up-to-date. You’re better off having nothing than having inaccurate or out-of-date info.

Even if your church is more spontaneous in your worship experience, it’s helpful to add a few lines in the bulletin that tells newcomers what they can expect in the service that day.

7. Obvious Signage

It doesn’t need to cost much. But people should be able to find you. I remember the day in my Oklahoma church when we tore down this old, weathered, faded 4’x8′ sign out by the road and replaced it with a new modern sign. It felt like a major accomplishment. People knew we were open! And once they’ve found you, they need to know where everything is – especially the bathrooms and kids’ room(s).

8. A Clear, Practical Presentation of the Gospel

This is priority #1 in any church, whatever its size.

We should never be sloppy, boring or inaccurate in our presentation of the Gospel. We should never be sloppy, boring or inaccurate in our presentation of the Gospel.

Nothing else means anything if the bible is not honored, taught, preached and lived in the simplest, clearest way possible. And people should know what to do about the message when they leave.

The message should also have some serious study and prayer put into it. Whether we’re speaking with ten people or preaching to 10,000, we should never give anything but our best when it comes to presenting God’s Word.

9. Opportunities to Serve – Inside and Outside the Church

Take a look at your bulletin. Listen to your announcements. Is it all about internal events? Or are there opportunities to serve each other and minister to the community that would be obvious to anyone coming to your church for the first time?

New people don’t come to a small church to be an audience. That’s much easier to do in a bigger church. They come to participate – in fellowship, worship and ministry. Don’t make people search for ministry opportunities. Put them front-and-center.